Speaker 1: 0:32

It's really hard to sustain that kind of momentum when you don't know where things are going, and it also doesn't take any of the creativity out of that just because you have a framework to work within. It just means that that's where you get to be creative, and you'll still learn things in your discovery draft that you know may not have popped up in your outline. But on the whole, writing now feels fun and exciting and also productive, rather than kind of just meandering around without any kind of structure in place.

Speaker 2: 1:03

Welcome to the Fiction Writing Made Easy podcast. My name is Savannah Gilbo and I'm here to help you write a story that works. I want to prove to you that writing a novel doesn't have to be overwhelming, so each week, I'll bring you a brand new episode with simple, actionable and step-by-step strategies that you can implement in your writing right away. So, whether you're brand new to writing or more of a seasoned author looking to improve your craft, this podcast is for you. So pick up a pen and let's get started. In today's episode, we're talking about one of the most frustrating experiences in writing, and that is being completely stuck. Not just procrastinating or dealing with writer's block, but that specific feeling where you know you want to write, you love your story idea, but you literally have no idea how to move forward.

Speaker 2: 1:49

You're going to hear from three writers who were stuck in very different ways. Very different ways Leah, who had been working on the same young adult series since 2015, starting and stopping after just a few chapters because she couldn't figure out what wasn't working. Kelsey, who hit 11,000 words and then stared at her manuscript with absolutely no idea what should happen next. And Danielle, who loved her concept about a missing daughter but kept running into structural problems she couldn't solve. And here's what I love about these stories. Each writer thought that their problem was unique to them, but they all discovered they were missing the same fundamental piece a clear roadmap for how stories actually work. Once they learned the frameworks and got the right guidance and process, everything clicked into place. So if you're feeling stuck right now, if you're staring at your manuscript wondering what comes next or why something fundamental just isn't working, these breakthrough moments will show you exactly what you might be missing.

Speaker 2: 2:44

But before we dive into the details, I have something super exciting to share. My Notes to Novel course is opening for enrollment very soon. This is my signature eight-week program designed to help you confidently write a story you're proud of, without the self-doubt, frustration or overwhelm that stops most writers in their tracks. So if you've been wanting to work with me on your novel and follow a step-by-step framework to turn your ideas into a finished draft, then this is your chance. I'll be sharing more details soon, but if you want to be the first to know when doors open and snag a few extra goodies in the meantime, make sure you're on the waitlist at savannahgilbocom forward slash waitlist.

Speaker 3: 3:26

Hi there, I'm Danielle Nicole and I'm in the first year of my novel writing journey. A year ago I put action to my dream of writing a fiction novel and started the process of outlining it. I love reading commercial fiction novels in the worldview thriller and romance genres, so I'm pretty sure that's where my book will sit when it's done. The very first idea for my book was to create a story with a female character that other women could relate to and have a few laughs with, because they see some of their own anxieties or insecurities in my main character as well. The stories morph quite a bit, but making sure others can relate to my character with her insecurities or mother's intuition is important to me. Early in the process I started plotting out my scenes on a wall in my house with butcher paper, post-it, notes, markers in every color. For my day job I facilitate design thinking workshops and do experience journey mapping, so naturally I went to the wall and post-its to figure out my story. But then I soon found out that there was a lot to be learned between plotting out my story and sitting down to write it. So I started reading books and following podcasts like Savannah's to learn about story structure and I became hooked like really, really hooked on learning how to craft a story that will resonate with readers. I took Savannah's Notes to Malvel course because I love how she breaks down story structure in a way that just totally makes sense, and having access to her thoughts and feedback in the class on any questions and inquiries about our own stories is amazing. It was also great being in a class with other writers who are at different parts of their own writing journeys. I'm all about connecting with other writers so we can cheer each other on and learn from each other.

Speaker 3: 5:09

From the very beginning, I always saw my book being written with two very strong points of view One as my main character and her journey to find her college-age daughter who's missing, and the second as the daughter who is actually missing. That's how I came up with the concept of the story and what excited me about writing it. But it wasn't until I went through Savannah's course on story point of view that I realized I wasn't approaching point of view in the best way. I'd say my biggest aha moment was when I asked Savannah how to balance the two points of view throughout the story and she came up with some feedback that blew my mind Like I couldn't stop thinking about it. Savannah suggested I consider writing with just one point of view and from the protagonist's viewpoint, to help leave the readers more mystery around what's happening to the daughter, like if she'll be found or if something terrible has happened. And after considering that approach I realized that would actually solve a lot of the issues I was coming up against in my writing and it got me excited to be able to lean into my main character's journey more to find her daughter and hopefully that will keep readers wanting to keep turning the pages to find out what happens at the end. So this suggestion from Savannah rocked my world for a little bit, all in a good way, and I had to literally go back to the drawing board. But it really helped open up other threads of interactions between my key characters and it got me super excited to get back to writing scenes.

Speaker 3: 6:37

When I look back, it was necessary for me to think about the two different points of view to help build out what the missing daughter is going through, what she's thinking, so that I could visualize what's actually happening to her. But that didn't mean I needed to write the story from both points of view. I have a plan to reveal those details that I've already written about later in the story from both points of view. I have a plan to reveal those details that I've already written about later in the story and that gets me so excited to get to the finish line.

Speaker 3: 7:03

If Savannah hadn't lightly suggested I reconsider my point of view structure, I probably would have kept going down the path of two points of view and my story would have probably fallen off the rails or definitely would have been more complicated than it needed to be. A great piece of advice Savannah provided on point of view is that it's harder for readers to establish a deep emotional connection when there's multiple point of view characters that have less page time, versus if you were focusing more on them throughout the story. So that advice, that change in how I was structuring my point of view across the story, really set me in the right direction and for that I'm so thankful to Savannah and her Notes to Novel Class.

Speaker 1: 7:49

Hi everyone. My name's Kelsey, I'm from Philadelphia, on the East Coast, and I write adult fantasy. I have been working on a story for about two years and I wrote, you know, 10,000, 11,000 words and then was completely stuck because I had no idea where the story was going or how to figure out what else was going to happen in the story. I have read a lot of similar books, I've read a lot of books in other genres, but I was never able to figure out the path that my writing needed to go to create a story that held together, that had narrative fidelity, that made sense, that worked, that had narrative fidelity, that made sense, that worked. So for me, module four of Notes to Novel was the absolute game changer. It was like I had been blindly wandering around a room with the lights off and then, all of a sudden, someone turned on a light and handed me a map and said here's how you get from A to B and from B to C and C to D. And so learning how to createa flexible outline, one that you know had all of those key moments, those plot points that people expected, that readers expected from a novel in my genre, meant that I was able to still be really creative and still figure out different plot twists and still have a really interesting discovery kind of draft, but to do it in a way that allowed me a way to look at my story as a whole but also to show how to get from each of those goalposts to the next one. And for me, that was the thing that has made just the absolute biggest difference, and I'm so, so grateful because I'm no longer, you know, wandering around in the dark without a flashlight and I'm still able to make adjustments, because the outline is never really finished and it allows me to kind of flex that creative muscle and see where things could go, but within the framework of a story that will make sense, a story that will work, and so for that, the entire Notes to Novel course was just hugely eye-opening for me Learning about genre and learning about scenes and crafting, compelling protagonists and antagonists and the roles that people play, and all of those things were all immensely helpful, not just in my work in progress but just my understanding of the craft as a whole.

Speaker 1: 10:17

But in particular, the outline section was just like the biggest aha moment for me, and it's something that I still come back to even though I'm in the drafting stage right now, I still come back to the lessons that we had in module four. I go back and watch them occasionally just because for me that was really the thing that has made the absolute biggest difference in my writing and it makes me excited about my story again. You know, it's really hard to sustain that kind of momentum when you don't know where things are going, and it also doesn't take any of the creativity out of that just because you have a framework to work within. It just means that that's where you get to be creative and you'll still learn things in your discovery draft that you know may not have popped up in your outline. But on the whole, writing now feels fun and exciting and also productive, rather than kind of just meandering around without any kind of structure in place.

Speaker 4: 11:12

Hey there, fellow writers. I'm aspiring author Talia Michelle, pen name Leah Gray. I live in New Jersey and I am also a wedding photographer and soon to be wedding planner. I love young adult fiction, especially action in the sci-fi, fantasy, commercial genre. Let me just say that I've been writing this young adult series since 2015. I always got a few chapters in and then just stopped. I couldn't figure out what wasn't working.

Speaker 4: 11:34

In the earlier part of 2023, I discovered Savannah's podcast, which led me to her Notes to Novel course. This course unlocked a whole new side of my story. I had not realized that scenes and chapters were different. Understanding that part of story structure was one of the biggest reasons why what I had been writing before didn't work. After going through the course, digging deep into my whys, character development and plot, I discovered that I can tell the story I want and make it make sense. You should have seen what I plotted out before I took the course.

Speaker 4: 12:03

It was a train wreck. There was just action for action's sake and it didn't distinguish between the external and internal genre. I didn't have a middle either. I had a beginning and an end, and after notes to novel, I have finally bridged the gap to tell the most important parts of the story. Seriously, what I had before was not great, and I say that with confidence. For example, I had six main characters right out the gate in the first chapter. It was a lot and the characters didn't really have their own goals. I wasn't thinking about that. Now, instead of having six main characters, I have my one main character, her group of close friends and some others spread out across the journey of the first book. There is flow and pacing that really change the shape of my story.

Speaker 4: 12:41

Another amazing thing about this course is the community. I have these new friends that are in the same place that I am in and they have the same Savannah Gilbo education. We all share the same passion and we all want to write stories that work. I have some people that I talk to on a regular basis across the globe that I can depend on for feedback, ideas and support. Savannah has built a really safe and wonderful virtual world for us all and it's so great to have those connections.

Speaker 4: 13:05

I am currently plotting my novel, or should I say re-plotting? I veered from the course to try my very first NaNoWriMo. It wasn't successful for me in the way that I thought, but I did learn a lot about my story. My plot wasn't finished before I started, so now I am reworking and finishing that so I can get my messy draft done. Speaking of a messy draft, there was one very, very important thing that any perfectionist just like me needs to know.

Speaker 4: 13:29

My writing is the most vulnerable part of me. Something that always held me back from finishing my novel was the fear of a bad first draft. Let me tell you, while that won't go away 100%, the notes to novel course taught me how to write a messy draft that isn't so messy. I know that my first official draft will be miles better than it would have been without the course. Savannah walks you through key pieces of storytelling that make you feel more confident and less anxious about finally getting that discovery draft done. It's OK to have an OK or even bad first draft. Having that idea reinforced was crucial to me. I used to be scared to tell people I was writing a book and what it was about. Notes to novel changed everything for me. I've told my friends and family and there are people cheering me on and I don't feel like such an imposter anymore.

Speaker 2: 14:16

I know that I can take my passion for storytelling and writing and make it something worth reading. All right, so I hope hearing from Leah, kelsey and Danielle gave you the light bulb moment that you've been waiting for. Whether it was Leah's revelation about the difference between scenes and chapters that unlocked eight years of struggle, kelsey's description of outlining as someone turning on the lights and handing her a map, or Danielle's breakthrough when expert feedback solved her structural problem in one conversation, these stories prove that being stuck isn't permanent. It's just information. And here's what I want you to remember when you're stuck, you're not broken. You're not lacking talent. You're just missing a piece of the puzzle, and the moment you get that missing piece, everything changes. Now, if these breakthroughs inspired you to find your own path forward, I have some exciting news.

Speaker 2: 15:03

Notes to Novel. My signature eight-week live program is opening for enrollment on August 19th. This is the same program that gave Leah Kelsey, danielle and hundreds of other stuck writers the frameworks and expert feedback they needed to finally move forward with confidence. But here's the thing I want you to be prepared when doors open, because this live round always fills up fast, and that's why I've created a VIP waitlist that gives you early access before the public launch, plus some really fun and incredible bonuses while you wait. When you join the waitlist, you'll get my novel writing roadblocks guide with real stories like the ones you heard today, early bird access to notes to novel, a few free live Q&A sessions with me, quick and straightforward mindset videos to help you break through creative blocks, and inspiring stories from writers who have made the journey from stuck to finished, and inspiring stories from writers who've made the journey from stuck to unstoppable. Head over to savannagilbocom forward slash waitlist to get on the VIP waitlist and to get early access when doors to Notes to Novel open. And if you're listening to this after August 19th, don't worry, you can still join the waitlist to be the first to know when Notes to Novel opens for enrollment again.

Speaker 2: 16:17

All right, so that's it for this episode of the Fiction Writing Made Easy podcast. All right, so that's it for this episode of the Fiction Writing Made Easy podcast. Head over to savannagilbocom forward slash podcast for the complete show notes, including the resources I mentioned today, as well as bonus materials to help you implement what you've learned and if you're ready to get more personalized guidance for your specific writing stage, whether you're just starting out, stuck somewhere in the middle of a draft, drowning in revisions or getting ready to publish, take my free 30-second quiz at savannahgilbocom forward slash quiz. You'll get a customized podcast playlist that'll meet you right where you're at and help you get to your next big milestone. Last but not least, make sure to follow this podcast in your podcast player of choice, because I'll be back next week with another episode full of actionable tips, tools and strategies to help you become a better writer. Until then, happy writing.